


Shaken

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [117]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 07:42:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18616192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: “What’s up, Doc?”He doesn’t even try to hide his smirk, so Sam doesn’t try to hide how funny she doesn’t find his popular culture reference. She closes the lid of her laptop as the general turns serious and thrusts his hands into his pockets.





	Shaken

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘Richter Scale Day’ (26 April). 
> 
> Aside from a mention to the gate shaking in this chapter, I’m not quite sure how it fits with the holiday… apologies. Oh, and it’s another alternate reality outing, early season 1.

When Samantha finally meets the elusive and mysterious General O’Neill, it doesn’t go well, but she refuses to take any of the blame.

She arrives at the mountain at 0745 and drops by her lab to find a yellow Post-it note on her desk. The handwriting is that of George Hammond’s and she smiles – she has yet to see her godfather, but it’s another familiar face as she settles into her new role. Her smile soon fades however when she reads that she’s been summoned to General O’Neill’s office for later that morning. She sighs heavily and thinks about just going to get it over with when Catherine appears, reads the note, smiles, and tells her not to worry, that it’s just “standard procedure”. A snort escapes Sam and they agree that it’s probably as standard a procedure as they’re going to see over the next few months.

Yet, it's another two hours before she _actually_ plucks up the courage to go and see the general. As she nears the office she hears the unmistakable Texan drawl of George and another man’s voice that she doesn’t recognize but guesses it belongs to that of SGA’s commander. His voice is raised, which doesn’t surprise her as much as it maybe should, but despite not joining the Air Force herself, she’s still a military brat and knows all too well the attitude that can go with the job. What _does_ surprise her, however, are the placating tones of George as he tells his companion that he “really will like her once he gets to know her”.

“Oh, I’m sure I adore her already, George,” is his sarcastic response and Sam doesn’t need to see who it is in order to hear the roll of eyes which accompanies the statement.

She bristles slightly and wonders if it’s her they’re talking about, but she brushes down on her indignation because of George. Despite Sam’s distaste of the military, George isn’t the stereotypical officer and she has always had a lot of time and respect for him. She doesn’t want to cause any trouble.

“She’s a geek.”

“She is a genius, Jack.”

“I know that, otherwise she wouldn’t be here. Doesn’t change matters though.”

There’s a heavy silence as she edges towards the office and she appears in the doorway just as the mystery man folds his arms across his chest and stares at her godfather.

“Carter’s a scientist. I don’t like scientists. Can’t trust ‘em not to do something stupid.”

“I’m actually the world’s foremost expert on the Stargate,” she blurts out before she can stop herself and folds her arms across her chest in defiance, just as the general’s arms drop to his sides and his eyes snap to hers.

“Who –”

George quickly cuts through the tension and makes the introductions before he leaves the office, closing the door behind him with a look that neither of them sees.

“So, Miss Carter –”

“It is appropriate to refer to a person by their rank, not their salutation. You should call me _Doctor_ , not _Miss_.”

This time she does hear his eyes roll into the back of his head and she stands straighter when he says, “Then you should call me _Brigadier General._ ”

It’s dripping with sarcasm but there’s no anger in his words. He seems tired, and frustrated and like he doesn’t fully trust her, but that’s okay because she doesn’t fully trust him either. He studies her intently and she tries not to flinch but she feels a tingle along the base of her spine.

But that’s about as far as her thoughts go before the general makes another disparaging comment about scientists and then follows it up with an even more sexist comment about how he “likes women” and Sam decides that she has more important things to do. She doesn’t linger on how she dismisses the general by storming out of his office, or how the word ‘asshole’ now fills the space, and she definitely doesn’t see the hint of a smirk playing around the corner of his lips.

* * *

He finally seeks her out an hour later.

“What’s up, Doc?”

He doesn’t even try to hide his smirk, so Sam doesn’t try to hide how funny she doesn’t find his popular culture reference. She closes the lid of her laptop as the general turns serious and thrusts his hands into his pockets.

“So, you’re the one who got the ‘gate up and running?”

There’s no hint of mockery or distaste in his words, so she acquiesces. “Yes, General. I am.”

She says it proudly, because she is, but it isn’t boastful and even if the general thought it was, he doesn’t let it show.

“Think you can do anything about the shaking?”

She frowns at the question and he pulls a hand from his pocket, waving it around as if it explains everything. “The gate. Every time it activates, it feels like I should be awaiting a call from NEIC.”

She huffs out a laugh and it seems to not only break the tension between them, but act as an apology – both offered and accepted. Suddenly his hand is thrust towards her and she accepts it without thinking.

“General O’Neill.”

“Doctor Carter.”

“I guess we got off on the wrong foot.”

“I’m sorry, General, it’s just –”

He waves her off and she stops.

“In case you haven’t picked up on it by now, people skills aren’t really my thing.”

They aren’t Sam’s either.

“With everything that’s going on under this mountain... Sometimes it’s easy to forget that not everyone here is military. Or a man.”

Sam nods, touched by his need to offer her an explanation. She has a feeling they don’t come from him often. She also thinks he maybe feels like what he’s said is enough because they fall into a silence that is neither comfortable nor uncomfortable, but it leaves her wanting more.

“Well, I’m sure you have a lot of work to get on with, Doctor Carter, so I’ll leave you to it.”

He gives her a half smile, then hesitates as if he wants to say something else. It’s not long before she’s proven right. “I guess I’ll see you around.”

It sounds almost like a question, rather than a statement, almost like he _wants_ to see her again and Sam decides that it maybe wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if he did.

She nods. “I’ll see what I can do.”

When he gives her a strange look, a smirk graces her lips. “About the shaking.”

“Oh. _Oh!_ Right, yes. The shaking.”

This time, she doesn’t miss the smirk on his face as he leaves her lab. “Welcome to the SGA, Doc.”


End file.
